


A place to rest and...

by dvrtrblhr



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Academy Arc Claude is our protagonist, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Fire Emblem Heroes Setting, Awkwardness, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Developing Relationship, I mean it's FEH, M/M, Public Display of Affection, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29686458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dvrtrblhr/pseuds/dvrtrblhr
Summary: To be perfectly honest, Claude didn’t think Dimitri had an actual crush on him, but he was still surprised by the non-rejection. So he decided to test the prince by touching him. They were fleeting little things, like holding his shoulder or gripping his (very firm) upper arm when he wanted to whisper something in his ear or even comparing their hand sizes.or Claude has a lot of free time in Askr so he uses it to flirt with as many Dimitris as he can.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 31
Kudos: 83





	1. An experiment

**Author's Note:**

> I have wanted to write Dimiclaude in a FEH setting for quite some time. I resisted because... I'm in the middle of writing something else. But I'm really bad at self-control so! I don't think one needs to have played FEH to understand this, by the way.
> 
> Additional Warnings/Notes:  
> \- Our House Leaders are summoned to Askr sometime during Chapter 5 of 3H in this. This makes Dimitri 17yo in the beginning of the story but... time passes, so feel free to think of them as 18 or whatever makes you comfortable.  
> \- There's an obvious age gap between Academy!Dimiclaude and Post-war!Dimiclaude. It'll be something they talk about, but, still, there'll be a few more intimate scenes between younger/older Dimiclaude.  
> \- I have no idea what rating this will be, but it could go all the way to E or not, so be warned.  
> \- Academy!Claude tests Academy!Dimitri's boundaries (especially physical) a lot to the point of being pushy (and Dimitri doesn't really verbally consent most of the time which makes things confusing).  
> \- This is multi-chapter because I have no self-control.  
> \- My english isn't perfect, but I'm always trying my best.

Askr was even stranger than Fódlan, starting by the small, insignificant fact that they had a whole military order composed of heroes summoned from other worlds. ‘Heroes’ was a very broad term there, to the point that it included Claude, an eighteen-year-old who had not done much in life to earn such a grand, stuffy title. And yet he was extremely heroic compared to some of the other colorful characters that were also bound by the Order of Heroes’ contract. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Seeing so many different people from different worlds, even from different species fight side by side gave him hope that maybe his dream was not that far fetched after all.

Claude was not the only one from Fódlan to be summoned to help Askr in their military ventures. He came, as a package deal, with Edelgard, Dimitri and Teach. Teach who was a woman, for some reason. That had been a bit of a shock. Not only that, but the Dimitri and Edelgard he had met in this world seemed to be slightly different from the ones that inhabited his world.

He discovered that during one of their first dinners in Askr (the thought of dining with the other two house leaders seemed surreal in the Academy, but then they were all foreigners in this land so they ended up sticking together. It was comforting how they were all outsiders for once).

The topic of their conversation was their last mission together. Dimitri had thrashed their enemies so quickly and thoroughly, Claude and Edelgard might as well have just watched him go.

“Honestly, I hope I don’t have to fight His Princeliness on my own ever again. The mock battle was already a close call. I mean, if it wasn’t for Teach-” Claude started telling them.

“Teach?” Edelgard repeated and the word sounded hilarious out of her lips.

“We never faced each other in the mock battle, Claude. The one who took you down was Ingrid, if I'm remembering it right,” Dimitri added at the same time.

“Your memory is clearly faulty, because no one took me down in the mock battle,” Claude bragged just to annoy them.

Dimitri seemed about to argue, but Edelgard silenced him with one gesture of her hand. That kind of authority she seemed to exude never failed to impress and irritate Claude.

“I have a question,” she said calmly, “Which house won the mock battle?”

“Pfff… The Golden Deer-”

“The Blue Lions,” Dimitri said firmly at the same time as him, making Claude turn to him, baffled. Was that the prince’s idea of a joke?

“...I suspected as much,” Edelgard muttered quietly.

“Wait-” Claude started, a crazy thought popping into his mind suddenly. This time Edelgard gestured for him to be silent.

“And Byleth… teaches which House?” the princess asked with a pensive expression.

“Are you quite alright, Edelgard? Has the magic that brought us to this world affected your memory?” Dimitri asked, looking worried.

“I think… I understand where the princess is coming from… Does Byleth teach the Black Eagle House in your world, Edelgard?” Claude asked.

Edelgard nodded. Dimitri seemed shocked and very confused. It looked pretty funny, to be honest, though Claude had more to focus on than the prince’s facial expression.

“I bet she teaches your lions too, right?” Claude guessed, still looking at his befuddled face.

“Yes, but… how?”

“Is she also a woman in your world?” He continued, ignoring Dimitri’s question. This gender mismatch thing had been bothering him for a while.

“Are you implying that she’s… not in yours?” Edelgard asked back.

“Teach is very much a man in mine… but that’s the only real difference now that I think about it,” Claude replied, fascinated by the possibilities.

Dimitri, on the other hand, appeared so lost, Claude was starting to pity him.

“We probably came from different… timelines, I’d say. Something like… variations of possible Fódlans? In one Teach is a woman and teaches the Black Eagles… In mine he’s a man and teaches the Golden Deer… I wonder if their gender is related to which House they’re assigned to…”

“My Professor is also a woman,” Dimitri muttered quietly. The way he had said _‘my professor’_ sounded almost territorial.

At that precise moment, _their_ professor arrived with her own meal and sat down by Edelgard’s side. That made the girl smile a little though her expression soon turned more dispassionate as if she had just noticed she was being watched.

“Professor, I must ask…” Dimitri started a little nervously, “Which… House do you teach in your world?”

Byleth looked at each of them with her usual stony face. The moment felt very similar to that night in Remire in which the three of them had asked if the professor - then mercenary - would work for them and their countries.

“Why?” She asked finally.

“Why…” Dimitri repeated, looking confused yet again, “We were… a bit shocked to discover that we are all being taught by you.. in our own worlds, I mean. How is that possible?”

“Many things are possible here,” was Byleth's noncommittal answer, “Have you met the Robins?”

“The… Robins?” It was Claude’s turn to repeat their professor’s words, “Is that a family of bird-people?”

It was not completely improbable considering Claude had seen a few individuals with actual wings on their backs. He had had to double-check if they were not wearing some kind of strange accessory.

“They are the tacticians of the Ylissean royal family. Though each of them are the only one in their original worlds, several different versions were summoned to Askr. There are other cases like this too.”

“I see…” Edelgard replied with a slight frown, “However… in your world you must teach one of our Houses, yes? Which one is it, Professor?”

“I’m not telling,” she said simply.

“Why?” Claude asked.

“Because that doesn’t matter here.”

-

Of course, Byleth’s refusal to give them any more information only made Claude more interested so he started to throw little tidbits of their daily lives in Garreg Mach into his conversations with their teacher in hope she would blurt the truth in a moment of distraction. She didn’t.

“Why do you want to know, Claude? Would it make you happier if I said I teach your House?” Byleth asked him after he had bothered her quite insistently.

“I’m just… curious, I guess?”

“What if I said I teach none of you?”

“That… Is that it?” Claude asked, baffled by the possibility.

Byleth shrugged, “Who knows…”

And then she left.

-

The summoner was a mysterious individual called Kiran who was from another world as well. They also served as a tactician of sorts to the Order of Heroes and were often the one who assigned missions to the heroes. And although they would put Byleth in a great assortment of teams, they always kept the three house leaders together along with a ‘guardian’ or ‘responsible adult of the day’ that might or might not be their professor, depending on the woman’s own schedule.

Once it was a mercenary hero called Ike that reminded Claude a bit of Byleth for some reason. It also reminded him of a teenage male he had seen practicing with Dimitri at the training grounds just the previous day. He mentioned it to the young man who simply replied:

“Must have been another Ike.”

“Another…? Are there several versions of you here?”

“Four,” he answered with a slight frown.

“That one looked younger…”

“They are all younger. I’m the oldest of the bunch… for now.”

Claude exchanged a surprised glance with the other house leaders. Many things were possible in Askr indeed.

-

It became Claude’s pastime to look for versions of the same people in the common areas of the Order’s headquarters. There were several Robins, like Byleth had said. Some were men, others were women. There were also more heroes like Ike, who were summoned several times during different moments of their lives.

“Is that the Ike who trains with you sometimes?” He asked Dimitri as the prince finished gobbling down his food (he could eat almost as fast as Raphael, it was honestly a little frightening). This time it was just the two of them in the mess hall as Edelgard had decided to retire earlier.

Dimitri followed Claude’s eyes to the teenager in question.

“I’m not… very certain,” Dimitri replied, squinting his eyes. “They all look the same to me, to be honest. Except for the eldest.”

“Do you think Kiran will summon other versions of ourselves?”

“I hope not,” Dimitri answered very honestly.

“Aren’t you curious? Maybe an older Dimitri… Maybe he’d be His Kingliness instead…”

Dimitri grimaced, “No, it sounds terrible. Would you like to deal with another version of yourself, Claude?”

The idea of someone who knew exactly what made him tick scared Claude a little. But, at the same time, it was himself. If he had two or three more Claudes, it would certainly make his schemes even more elaborate. And an older version of himself also brought another interesting perk, namely knowledge of the future.

“I’d like to learn a few shortcuts to my goals from my older self, for one,” Claude admitted.

Dimitri’s eyes glinted at that.

“Heh, I think you liked that idea.”

-

Unable to do much to further his own goals, Claude started to spend more time in the Order’s library. At first it was with the idea of studying a bit on Askran strategy, but he didn't find much interesting material so he ended up reading about all the different realms and legends of their folklore. It was so different from anything he could find in Fódlan and Almyra, he was easily captivated. Still, sometimes being in Askr felt too much like a vacation, like he should be doing something else, something more productive, like, for instance, trying to go back to his own world.

Claude was just returning a book about Nifl, the Ice Kingdom, to its proper place when a prince from another icy kingdom peeked into the corridor he was in.

“Are you lost?” Claude asked with a smirk.

Dimitri glared at him, though he didn’t seem upset.

“I was looking for you actually,” he replied neutrally.

“Not another mission, I hope?” Claude asked with a tired sigh. They had just returned from a very exhausting one in the company of one of the strictest knights Claude had ever met (unsurprisingly, he and Dimitri hit it off right away).

“No, I just thought we could have lunch together.”

“Ah, right. I kinda lost track of time here. But I’m hungry, so…” Just as he was saying that, he noticed the beginning of a pattern. “You invited me to dinner yesterday. And the day before too.”

“I suppose I did. It just felt natural.”

“I’d think it’d be Edelgard, but… do you have a crush on me, Your Princeliness?”

Claude thought Dimitri would be revolted at the suggestion, being the epitome of standard masculinity in so many ways. Instead he widened his eyes and flushed to a deep crimson. And that confused Claude very much.

“I just… enjoy your company. Is that so strange?” Dimitri managed to say in the end.

It was a little strange, in Claude’s opinion. Even though Dimitri was a bit on the uptight side, he had already connected with several other heroes, not to mention Prince Alfonse himself. Most of them were other princes or young lords (Claude called them the Princeliness Club). There were also the old knights who seemed to adore the Blue Lion House leader as much as he admired them back. Claude, on the other hand, knew a lot of people, but didn’t belong in any of the Order’s little groups. He was as much a young lord as Dimitri, but felt really out of place in the Princeliness Club. The same could be said about the Order’s archers or its strategists. In the end, things were not that different from how they were in the Officer’s Academy: Dimitri fit right in, Claude didn’t.

So, the fact that he kept seeking Claude’s company was unusual in a way. Not that he disliked it. He also enjoyed Dimitri’s company even though he initially didn’t think he would. Besides, the prince was very nice to look at and too dense to notice it. That was a plus.

“Aw, so you _do_ have a crush on me!” Claude teased and couldn’t help but grin at Dimitri’s red cheeks, “Hey, I don’t mind. It's kinda cute actually.”

Claude winked at him playfully and entwined their arms together as if they were an actual couple. Again, he thought Dimitri would reject the physical contact vehemently. He didn’t. He just stood there, stunned.

“Well? Weren’t you going to take me on a date?”

“...It’s just lunch in the mess hall,” Dimitri muttered uncomfortably though he let Claude hold onto his arm.

“Not as fancy as I would think, but still fine by me.”

“Fine…” Dimitri repeated with narrowed eyes before he left with Claude, still arm in arm.

-

To be perfectly honest, Claude didn’t think Dimitri had an actual crush on him, but he was still surprised by the non-rejection. So he decided to test the prince by touching him. They were fleeting little things, like holding his shoulder or gripping his (very firm) upper arm when he wanted to whisper something in his ear or even comparing their hand sizes.

“Huh… It’s surprisingly big,” Claude remarked, his palm against Dimitri’s own.

The three house leaders had just had breakfast together and were then waiting for their Professor so they would leave on a scouting mission.

“Well, I’m taller,” Dimitri replied in a matter-of-fact tone without pulling his hand away.

“Not by much,” he responded as he stared at their joined hands. Not only was Dimitri’s palm broader, but his fingers were also longer. It was overall a very nice hand.

Edelgard sighed and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Claude asked.

“I will wait outside, since you are obviously going to keep doing this,” the princess answered, giving their hands a pointed look before turning on her heel and walking away.

That made Dimitri blush and pull his hand away so it was resting over the table. Claude was immediately annoyed.

“Is the rest of you this big?” Claude asked with a teasing grin, because why not?

“The rest…?” Dimitri repeated confusedly. His expression was one of perfect innocence.

Claude laughed, “You honestly didn’t get it? Your Princeliness really is the epitome of virtuous virginity.”

The other house leader managed to flush even more intensely as he both understood what Claude was talking about before and got embarrassed at the subsequent ‘accusation’.

Then he stood up.

“I shall wait outside as well,” Dimitri said coolly before leaving.

Claude watched Dimitri’s (nicely shaped) silhouette grow distant as he wondered if he had gone a bit overboard this time. It was not like Claude was any different (namely, he was also a virgin), he just thought it was funny how it seemed so obvious in Dimitri’s case that he might as well tattoo the word on his forehead.

“Claude?” A woman’s voice called. He turned in its direction. It was one of the Robins, one that was female and not possessed by some sort of ancient evil god (she was also one of the heroes who treated Claude like he was some kind of mascot character, probably because, even though she looked to be in her mid twenties, she had two mysteriously teenage children). “I’m supposed to lead the Fódlan kids on today’s mission. Where are the other two?”

“They are waiting outside- Wait, I thought Teach was supposed to lead us today.”

“Ah, yes. She’s still a bit shocked, so Kiran gave her a day off.”

“Shocked? Why?” He asked, surprised by how worried he already was about a Teach that wasn’t even his own Teach.

“Well, it seems Kiran summoned another version of her. A ‘he’ this time.”

-

Claude was only able to catch a glimpse of the new Byleth much later after he had already returned safe and sound from their scouting mission. The professor was wandering on his own as if taking his new surroundings in. Claude could relate to that, although there was something else at the forefront of his mind. This was an opportunity and it was Claude’s duty to seize it.

“Teach! So glad to see you again!” Claude said excitedly as he walked up to meet him.

“Claude. I’ve heard you and the other house leaders were also summoned to Askr. Good to see you well,” the man said in his usual dispassionate manner, then his eyes turned inquiring. “What are you scheming now?”

“Me? Scheming? Never!” Claude replied with a big grin. “You know… I missed this form of you. I mean, the other Teach is nice too, but I’m just more used to your manly charms.”

Not that there was much difference between them besides the obvious one, but still, he was trying to get a reaction from the other. Unsurprisingly, there was none. The professor just kept staring at him blandly.

“...so I was wondering if-” he continued, but was interrupted before he could get anywhere.

“Don’t tell him.”

It was Byleth, the female version, who appeared to have just warped in front of them, considering how quietly and suddenly she had approached them. The male professor turned to his counterpart and cocked the head to the side, as if asking her a silent question. Seeing them side by side like that was honestly a little eerie in Claude’s opinion.

“He’ll ask you which House you teach among other things,” she told him unemotionally.

“Oh. I wasn’t going to,” the other professor said in a calm, unaffected voice, “tell him, that is.”

“Why?” Claude asked in frustration

“That doesn’t really matter here, does it?” the man replied, his female version nodded in agreement.

It seemed that, no matter the gender, they were indeed one and the same, their professors.

-

After the new Byleth, several other Fódlanners were summoned to Askr, starting by the goddess herself, Sothis, which came in the form of a cute little girl. Or maybe it was just a girl who took the goddess name, although that sounded a lot like heretic behavior. Either way, the child was immensely powerful (like many other mythic-god-children that were summoned to Askr) and was already very familiar to both their professors for reasons neither wanted to disclose.

“I’m at loss,” Dimitri muttered to Claude and Edelgard after they had seen Sothis destroy an army of enemy soldiers.

“That’s what happens when you put too much faith in religion, Dimitri,” Edelgard said, surprisingly candid.

“I didn’t think I did, but…” Dimitri said, still looking taken aback.

“Maybe she’s the goddess, maybe she isn’t. I mean, it doesn’t change much at the end of the day, does it?” Claude pondered as he rested his back against Dimitri’s own, while both of them sat on the ground, waiting for Boyleth’s (the nickname was Claude’s creation) orders.

Claude was still conducting his tests on how much physical contact Dimitri could tolerate without complaining and he still hadn’t found out the limit. The implications were a bit worrying as he either liked this or could silently endure any kind of unsolicited touches impassively.

Also, he was starting to wish Dimitri would touch him back. The prince never did.

-

Things became even livelier when four other students from the Officer’s Academy arrived in Askr. Especially because Hilda and Petra were some of Claude’s favorite girls and Mercedes was surprisingly fun to hang out with as well. Hubert still creeped him out a bit, but at least Edelgard looked less lonely (he was surprised that he even cared, but he did).

Still, nothing really changed in their routine apart from the fact that sometimes he would be paired with other students for his missions. They still had a lot of free time to just laze around (it was a privilege of heroes in their teens, he noticed) and he spent much of it with Dimitri (when the other was not surrounded by charming princes or old men). He started to get pretty bold too to the point he would shamelessly rest his head on Dimitri’s lap like it was his pillow (a firm pillow, but still a good, warm pillow).

That day they were both under the shadow of a nice big tree. It was the beginning of fall, so the weather was pleasantly cool. Dimitri sat down with his back against the tree trunk reviewing his training notes (he was very methodical about such things) while Claude lay on the grass, his head comfortably supported by the prince’s thighs as he alternated between reading a book of Askran poetry and dozing off. At some point, Dimitri’s hand rested over his hair, but, when he noticed his own action, he immediately removed it.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” he apologized, sounding a little self-conscious.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind,” Claude said sincerely, almost eagerly, but managed to control himself just in time. 

“Hm,” Dimitri muttered noncommittally before he resumed its previous activity of lazily running his fingers through Claude’s hair.

It felt so pleasant, he almost sighed in contentment. It honestly scared him how much he wanted this.

“Do you miss Fódlan?” Dimitri asked very softly.

“Hmm, a bit. Not much. I don’t think I remember having this amount of free time, like… ever.”

“Yes, not even when I was a little boy did I have so much free time,” Dimitri agreed, “It’s strange… not being a prince. Freeing too. But I still miss… many things. Little things, familiar smells and sounds. Also, I miss Dedue.”

“Oh? So he’s the one you miss the most?” Claude asked in a teasing tone, though he could not help but feel both a little jealous and very glad that the prince’s vassal hadn’t been summoned to Askr so he could more effectively monopolize Dimitri’s time. How desperate must he be for any kind of attention that this mostly one-sided petting was something he didn’t want to lose?

“Out of the living, he is,” Dimitri answered very sincerely and little wistfully.

Before Claude could come up with an appropriate response, Hilda approached them eyeing the Golden Deer House leader somewhat suspiciously. Dimitri immediately tensed and removed his hand from Claude’s hair. Still, he didn’t ask for the lying boy to move nor he pushed him away.

Claude had already noticed that Dimitri got a little nervous about being touched in front of others, but he had blissfully ignored it as the prince had never really asked him to stop. It was one thing to do it in Fódlan where men were supposed to keep their distance from other men lest they be accused of having some sort of illicit love affair. In the Order of Heroes it didn’t really matter. There were people from several different worlds, places and races, so anything ‘unusual’ was tolerated as being ‘culturally diverse’ as long as nobody was getting hurt. And Claude would be a fool not to embrace such an opportunity. Besides, it was not like he had ever met anyone from his actual timeline, so, when he finally returned to his life, no one would know.

“The Professor is calling you, Dimitri,” Hilda told him, sounding as if just doing that was more work than it was worth it.

“Which… Professor?” The prince asked.

“Boyleth, I- I mean the male one,” the girl said and blushed at her own blunder. Claude couldn’t help but grin. “He’s at Kiran’s quarters.”

Dimitri nodded and turned expectant eyes to Claude who immediately understood and begrudgingly sat up. The prince was up and leaving at the very next instant and Claude could only watch him go, feeling a bit grumpy. He had really hoped for a nice nap while Dimitri petted his hair oh so gently. 

“Can you take His Princeliness place as my pillow?” Claude proposed with a grin. Hilda would be a much softer pillow and he preferred Dimitri’s scent than the girl’s flowery one, but life was made of concessions.

“No way, my lap is reserved for my future lover only,” Hilda replied right away, “By the way, you and Dimitri… are you two doing it?”

Claude’s laugh sounded a little fake to his own ears.

“What a dirty mind you have. Your brother would be disappointed,” he remarked, the girl glared at him. “Anyway, we aren’t.”

“Liar. You’re always clinging to him like a jealous girlfriend. Are you going to say that’s normal friends’ behavior?”

A shrug. It was not like Claude had ever had any close friends his age so he would actually know what would be his behavior with them.

“I like clinging to him and he lets me do it so that’s that,” he admitted. Being in another world was very liberating in some ways.

Hilda frowned, “I’m not the best person to say this, but… aren’t you just stringing him along then? I mean, he might be hoping to do something more with you…”

“I’m not a telepath, Hilda. If Dimitri wants something, he should say it. Since he doesn’t, I presume he’s fine with the way things are.”

Claude wasn’t sure if _he_ was fine with the ways things were, but then, it was better than what he had before so maybe he was.

“Well, everyone thinks you two are doing it,” the girl said matter-of-factly, “So maybe you should talk, just to be sure you two are on the same page.”

After that, Hilda left him alone. Claude sighed as he rested his back against the tree. He leafed through the book he had in his hand without really paying attention. He had lost any desire to either read or nap. Instead he thought of Dimitri. The idea of actually having a conversation about whatever they had going on was terrifying. For the first time since being summoned, he wished that it was just the two of them in Askr. That way, far from the prying eyes of everyone who knew them, they could pretend that this was all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a more spontaneous work that I plan to write when I'm not in the mood to check several pages of chapter's script and support conversations for my other fic. That means its updates will follow a more erratic schedule. It's also not supposed to be very long (I hope...)


	2. The Dimitri Sandwich

Time passed strangely in Askr. Seasons went by quickly as if the year was shorter and yet the days seemed to drag indefinitely. At least that was how it felt to Claude. The summoned heroes didn’t age and that felt odd, not changing at all.

Fall gave way to winter, temperatures dropped suddenly to the point that his uniform was clearly not enough (though the Order supplied them with cloaks and other necessary gear), but they still had to go on missions from time to time. They consisted mostly of patrolling, nothing truly dangerous and that made the cold even more of a bother. At least it was a good excuse to keep close to Dimitri who was always warm and never complained about the weather, no matter how harsh and dreadful.

They had, however, reached a stalemate of sorts in their touching game. Holding his hand or arm, resting the head on his shoulder or lap, patting his back or messing with his hair, supporting his weight against his side or back while they were standing or sitting, that was all fine and Claude had done it all. Anything else felt like crossing an invisible line and whatever was on the other side seemed way too dangerous. And yet the colder it got the more tempting it was to just press his body flush against Dimitri’s so he could steal all his warmth.

Claude had been thinking of a way of achieving that goal without crossing that imaginary line, but still hadn’t thought of a plausible enough pretext. So, for the time being, he was contenting himself with just snuggling close to Dimitri so their arms were touching.

With the arrival of winter came a festival that mainly revolved around fighting for presents. It seemed a little pointless to Claude (especially the being outdoors in the freezing cold part). The feast afterwards, however, was one of the first things to truly excite him in weeks. Of course, it wasn’t even close to the level of excitement he could see in Sharena’s face. The princess was glowing with happiness in a way that was almost blinding.

“Byleth told me you like that kind of stuff, so, if you want, I can put you in the party planning committee,” she offered excitedly one morning before he left in yet another reconnaissance mission. “...or are you going to be too busy preparing for the winter competition?”

“I think I’m gonna pass the fight for presents. The feast is more my style, though, so you can count me in.”

“Oh, I heard Dimitri was going to participate, so I thought you would too. I mean, you’re always together…”

“That’s news to me,” he said right away as his casual smile turned into a grin in an attempt to disguise his annoyance that Sharena, of all people, knew more about Dimitri’s plans than him.

“Ah, well… Maybe I’m confusing Dimitri with…” She hesitated, looking flustered, “...Klein? I mean, they’re both blond…” Sharena laughed nervously, “Anyway! I should go now! I’ll tell Commander Anna of your interest in helping with the party! Thanks a lot! Bye!”

And she practically ran after that.

-

Claude only met Dimitri during dinner. No matter what Sharena or Hilda thought, it was not like he spent his whole time following the prince around. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel some satisfaction when Dimitri made a beeline for him as soon as their eyes met.

“Good evening,” the prince said pleasantly as he sat down in front of Claude with his own meal, “How was your mission?”

“All right. Kinda cold and boring,” he replied indifferently. Actually, everything was starting to feel a little boring. He wondered if it was the fact that he was unable to die in this world that made him feel so uninterested in everything. “And you? Excited for the winter festival?”

Dimitri shrugged minimally, “I always feel a bit out of my element in this sort of event.”

“Oh? Even though you are a prince?”

“Yes, I can act the part if needed. Does that make them any less awful, however?” Dimitri admitted with such brutal honesty, it took Claude aback for a moment.

“Awful? Never thought you were one for exaggerations...” Claude remarked, still a bit surprised, “I thought fighting in frigid conditions was your kinda thing though.”

“I suppose it is,” Dimitri agreed with a little amused smile, “I’m taking part in the festival’s competition actually…”

“And you were keeping it a secret because…?”

“I was not keeping it a secret. I just thought you wouldn’t be interested since you are so sensitive to the cold.”

“Maybe you’re the one who is insensitive, Your Princeliness.” Actually, sometimes Claude overplayed his dislike for the cold just because it was a useful enough pretext. “Anyway, do you already have a team?”

The thought of coming up with a strategy that used the adverse weather in their favor was starting to sound interesting enough. Maybe it would even be fun. 

“Yes,” Dimitri answered and Claude’s heart sank a little.

Well, it was probably not going to be _that_ fun anyway. And he would rather focus on the feast.

“Really? And who are the lucky ones?” He asked because it was human to be curious.

“I’ll partner with Princess Camilla of Nohr.”

Claude frowned. He didn’t like that choice at all.

“And the other two…?”

“Oh, it will be me and three Princesses Camilla,” Dimitri explained calmly, like that was the most common thing in the world (and in Askr it was certainly not that unusual).

“Seriously? How is that a good idea, Dimitri?” Claude asked, both baffled and annoyed.

“Why is it a bad idea? ...and why are you so offended?”

Claude scoffed, “I’m not offended, I just fear that your virtue might be endangered.”

The way Dimitri flushed and his mouth fell open would be funny if Claude wasn’t feeling so overwhelmed with indignation for no good reason.

“I’m speechless…” Dimitri started quietly before he continued in a much firmer voice, “Do you even _know_ Princess Camilla, Claude? Besides, my…” He hesitated, his face still very red, “...my intimate affairs are not something for you to worry about.”

And that was the end of the conversation.

Claude couldn’t help but feel very bitter. Dimitri also looked upset, his brow furrowed and lips pressed together tensely. He eyed his food with distaste, looking like he was about to just stand and leave. Instead he picked up his fork and knife and ate with impassive determination. Claude did the same, even though he had completely lost his appetite.

-

The next week Claude was completely consumed by the preparations for the winter celebration. He would have forgotten all about the Dimitri sandwich that the Camillas were probably having everyday if it weren’t for the fact that he would pass by such a sandwich from time to time. Still, he ignored it.

Dimitri was right to say that his intimate affairs were none of his business. They weren’t, in Hilda’s words, ‘doing it’ and Clade didn’t want to ‘do’ the prince anyway. It would be too troublesome, not to mention how, at some point, he would have to leave _this_ Dimitri to return to his world where he would have to deal with _another_ Dimitri altogether. No, it was fine as it was. He liked teasing him and snuggling to him in a completely non-romantic way. 

And if he sometimes thought about ‘doing it’ with Dimitri when he was in the privacy of his own room, it was only because he was a sexually frustrated eighteen-year-old. He also thought of other people in the same way (even if very rarely) so it was not like the prince occupied a special place in his erotic fantasies.

Claude thought he was doing a fine job of avoiding any sandwiches that were not in the menu of their winter celebration, mainly because there was so much else for him to focus his energies on. It was fun and challenging to plan an event of such a huge scope. Finally, he was not feeling bored.

“You’re enjoying yourself,” Byleth, the female one, remarked while Claude tentatively worked on a line-up of artistic presentations for the night (there were several professional and amateur dancers and musicians in the Order so the options were almost endless).

Claude gave the woman an inquiring look.

“You were looking unmotivated. I’m glad I recommended you to Sharena,” Byleth explained, not looking particularly glad, but by then Claude was used to the incongruity.

“Yeah, well… It feels odd, being unable to work on my own goals. I guess I’m just not that used to a supporting role,” he admitted. No matter which Teach, they were all able to make Claude talk more than he should. “I can practice and study, but… it’s not like this is my own body. I mean, it’s not a _mortal_ body… so everything… feels a bit like a waste of time. It’s all so confusing…”

Byleth nodded, “You need to feel challenged. I’ll see if Kiran can put you in a few more complex missions. You should also ask Commander Anna to give you some extra tasks like this one. I think the two of you together… would be a frightening pair.”

Claude grinned, “Maybe you’ll regret suggesting this in the first place.”

“I don’t think I will.” Byleth replied resolutely and there was something in her eyes that made Claude feel a way too warm and fuzzy.

“You know… I really think I was the one you taught in your own world. Admit it, Teach,” he said, because at least it brought them back to familiar territory.

“Maybe, maybe not,” she replied, her face the same as always.

Before he could say anything else, they were interrupted by the arrival of the infamous Dimitri sandwich composed of two strangely dressed nohrian princesses arm in arm with one sweaty, flushed crown prince of Faerghus. Of course, Claude knew that they had only been practicing, but still, that was _not_ what it looked like.

“I… thought Commander Anna was here,” the prince said, looking sheepish and throwing strange glances at Claude who tried with all his might to focus on the line-up he had drafted.

“Try the other room, Dimitri,” Byleth suggested in her usual neutral tone.

“Right…” Dimitri muttered, and quickly left, still being flanked by the two women and followed by a third, all making remarks of a supposed trip to the hot spring.

Hot spring. Just those two words were enough to make Claude feel unreasonably irritated.

“Don’t worry about Dimitri,” Byleth said, watching him with sharp eyes.

“Pff, why would I worry about him, Teach? I think he’s strong enough to defend his own honor if he wants to.”

Byleth arched an eyebrow, but didn't say a thing.

-

On the day of what Claude presumed was winter solstice (dates truly confused him in this world), he dedicated so much of his time and attention to making sure the celebration would go according to (his) plan, he almost forgot to eat. Luckily, Princess Fjorm was very attuned to this sort of thing so a plate of food would always mysteriously appear near someone who needed it.

They were testing the magic that was supposed to light the decorations up to a crowd of delighted young princesses when Anna approached him, looking pleased.

“It seems the festival will be a complete success,” she said with a smile on her face and Claude almost warned her not to celebrate a victory before the battle, but controlled himself. “Unfortunately, we went a bit over budget, but… as long as everyone is happy, we’ll manage. Will you continue to help us with these? We always like to do something to welcome the New Year and lately Hoshido-style celebrations are all the rage. Also, I had an idea to make a little bit of gold on the side, if you know what I mean.”

Claude grinned at how the woman’s eyes glinted at the thought of money. He couldn’t care less about riches, probably because he had never had to concern himself over it. Being a part of a secret scheme, however, was always fun, so he replied with an easy-going “sure.”

The word had barely left his lips when Sharena interrupted them by latching into the commander’s arm.

“The festival is about to start! Let’s go give everyone presents!” She said excitedly before turning her shining eyes to Claude, “You too, Claude!”

“Hmm, I think I’ll stay here and make sure everything will proceed smoothly, princess.”

“No way! Won’t you cheer for Dimitri?”

“He doesn’t need a cheerleader when he is already surrounded by such gorgeous beauties like Lady Camilla,” he replied and was satisfied by how he managed to keep his voice even and unironic.

“Well, if you say so!” Sharena said, looking like there were many more important things for her to focus on than Claude’s choices (and there were).

Then she went her way, pulling Anna and Alfonse by the hand, both looking less excited but still happy.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

Claude flinched before turning to Byleth, the male version.

“Teach, you’ll end up giving one of the older guys a heart attack like that,” he said with a sigh, “And I am. Someone has to make sure things will be ready when the present fight is over.”

“So this is not about Dimitri?”

“I think this world we are in revolves around a different prince, Teach,” he replied tiredly.

Byleth gave Claude a searching look that succeeded in making him feel like fidgeting (he didn’t though).

“I’m glad you two are having an opportunity to bond here,” the professor said, and like his female counterpart, he didn’t look exactly glad. “I always thought you two would make a good… duo.”

“Duo,” he repeated flatly. “I wonder if Kiran will summon such a duo one day.”

“Who knows…” the man shrugged, “I’m going now. Or else, Sothis will be mad.”

“And the last thing we want is an angry goddess.”

Byleth, looking like he didn’t care much anyway, nodded before turning on his heel and following the rest of the departing heroes.

-

Claude had already made sure everything was going as smoothly as it could be, he had already greeted and talked with almost everyone worth talking to, he had already eaten enough to feel stuffed until new year’s eve when he let himself rest, reclining on a an armchair conveniently placed at a hidden corner (obviously, he was the one that placed it there). His eyes closed and his lips involuntarily curled upwards into a smile.

When he opened his eyes, it was to Dimitri's (handsome) face. He was wearing a commemorative, but cheap looking red hat and cape with white fur trimmings which made him look ridiculous and adorable at the same time. He also had a small cut on his cheek and was holding some kind of package, both probably the result of his fight for presents.

“You look so pleased,” Dimitri remarked in a soft voice.

“That’s because I am,” he replied with the same easy smile, then gestured to his hurt cheek. “Aren’t you going to get that healed?”

“It’ll heal itself in time,” the prince declared dismissively. And although it was true, there was no need to feel unnecessary pain in Claude’s opinion. Then, Dimitri looked down and fiddled with the tip of his cape. “Are you… still angry? ...with me?”

“I was never angry with you. Why would I even be angry?” Claude asked back right away.

Dimitri didn’t reply, only frowned a little.

“Anyway, what’s that you’re holding? The loot from the competition?”

The prince looked down at his hand as if he was seeing the package for the first time.

“Ah, that…” he said, still looking at it, “That is… Uh… Would- Would you-” Dimitri sighed, rubbed his face with his unoccupied hand, inhaled, exhaled, “Would you go somewhere with me?”

“All right,” Claude said, suddenly a little nervous. Dimitri stammering that much was new. “I’m too heavy though, so you will have to help me.”

Claude offered his hands for Dimitri to hold. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled so easily and quickly, he ended up almost hit-kissing the prince in the ensuing collision.

“I apologize. I miscalculated,” Dimitri said as he released Claude and gave him some space.

“I guess it was my fault for saying I was too heavy. I must be as light as a feather,” Claude replied, still feeling a little disoriented by the sudden contact with Dimitri’s (very nice, very firm) chest. 

After that, he followed Dimitri through the heroes’ filled corridors until they reached an isolated, quiet and scenic balcony. The prince gestured for him to go ahead in that gentlemanly way of his that always seemed a bit out of place when it was directed to other men.

Claude was starting to feel a fluttering nervous sensation in the stomach he definitely didn’t like.

“What are your intentions bringing me to such a romantic location, Your Princeliness? Are you about to make your move?” He asked flippantly in an attempt to make the situation a little less nerve-wrecking.

Dimitri sighed and looked down.

“...you are impossible,” he muttered with evident frustration. Then he offered the package he was holding to Claude, “Here, I would like you to have this.”

At first, Claude could only look at it apprehensively like it was a poisonous animal ready to bite him.

“I didn’t get you anything, Dimitri,” he managed to say at some point.

“I’m not hoping to receive anything in return. I simply… wished to give you something,” Dimitri replied, still holding the package in front of him. “But you don’t need to force yourself to accept it if the idea offends you.”

Claude did accept it, yet, at first, he could just hold it in front of himself. Did Dimitri enter the present fight only to get him a gift? It wasn’t possible, was it? Should he ask? Did he want to know?

He didn’t. So he ripped the wrapping paper instead. Inside it he found a green scarf, very soft and warm.

“You are always so cold, so I thought… well…”

“Green, not yellow,” was all Claude could say, and almost cringed at his totally unnecessary rudeness.

“Is that… bad? I don’t think we need to use our houses’ colors all the time…” Dimitri rambled as he took the ridiculous red hat off and gripped it in both hands. “I thought it would look good on you…”

Claude threw a glance at Dimitri’s anxious face. This was getting really out of control. Maybe… it was time to stop it.

But he didn’t want to.

“Well, there’s only one way to know,” he said instead and arranged the scarf around his neck to the best of his ability. Then, he looked at Dimitri whose eyes were fixed on him and hands gripped his hat so tightly it felt like he was about to tear it. “What do you think? Looks good?”

Dimitri only watched him quietly at first. Then he nodded.

“...I’m still a bit cold though.”

“Is that… so?” Dimitri replied, looking a little disappointed.

“And you felt pretty warm earlier,” he continued in his best casual tone.

“Earlier?” Dimitri repeated. Sometimes Claude wished the other teen was quicker on the uptake. But then, maybe Dimitri wouldn’t be able to tolerate him if it was the case.

“When you helped me stand?” Claude reminded him, trying to be patient.

“I see…”

They were silent for a long moment. Then, Dimitri drew nearer and nearer, until they were inches apart and Claude could feel his warm breath against his face. Suddenly, Claude couldn’t remember what he had wanted from the prince in the first place. To his luck, he was the only one confused. Dimitri carefully embraced him, pulling him flush against his body. And it was warm. Or hot. Claude was unsure. Either way, soon his own hands were sliding beneath Dimitri’s ridiculous red cape so they could rest splayed over the other house leader's back.

“Better?” Dimitri asked quietly.

“Ah, there you are-”

Robin’s (male, not possessed, wearing festive clothes) voice made Dimitri jump a foot in the air and pull away as quickly as if he was fighting against a giant octopus. Claude, also surprised but in a more controlled manner, turned to the source of the interruption.

“What’s up?” he said, ignoring how his cheeks burned fiercely.

“Nothing! I mean, forget it! I didn’t mean to interrupt you boys! Please, go back to what- anyway, bye!”

“Wait, did something happen?” Claude asked. After all, Robin was part of the party organization committee and he seemed to be looking for him.

“Forget it, Claude. We can deal with it. Just, have fun. You’re only young once, after all,” the man said in an advising tone he used with his own mysteriously teenage children, then he quickly made himself scarce.

With the tactician gone, Claude turned to Dimitri who was supporting himself against the balcony’s railing, his back turned, looking ready to faint from mortification.

“There, there,” Claude said as he patted Dimitri’s back, “It’s not like he caught us having sex so relax.”

“Why do you say these things?” Dimitri asked in disbelief. “Are you trying to drive me insane?”

“Is it that easy to drive you insane? In that case, maybe you should see a healer,” Claude replied flippantly.

Dimitri shook his head, “Everybody thinks we are lovers.”

“I don’t really care. If I worried about what others thought… I’d probably have a very miserable existence,” Claude confessed honestly, though he tried to keep his tone indifferent, “Do you, Dimitri?”

“I… don’t,” Dimitri denied, still looking nervous or upset, then he sighed, “I’m… feeling a little bit tired so I might as well retire early.”

“Already?”

“Yes, already. Good night, Claude,” Dimitri said, bowed slightly and turned to leave.

“Thanks for the scarf,” he almost yelled as the prince reached the archway that would lead him to the castle’s much busier corridors.

Dimitri turned to Claude one last time with a weak smile and eyes full of an emotion he didn’t know how to name.

“Don’t mention it.” 

Claude watched Dimitri leave the balcony feeling both cold and frustrated. He turned to his side to see the prince’s silly red hat draped over the railings. When he picked it up, he immediately noticed it. Dimitri had really managed to tear it to shreds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author: This time I'll write something short.  
> Also the author: *writes a whole chapter about 'christmas'*  
> (aka when a couple of paragraphs turn into 3,7k words.)
> 
> Claude's theme song for these first couple of chapters is Britney's 'Oops! ...I did it again' (does that betray my age too badly?)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you have the time! (❁´◡`❁)


	3. Ordinary Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning: This chapter deals with religion and other spiritual practices through Claude's POV. Expect irreverence.

After the winter festival, came the new year’s celebration which seemed to revolve around yet another fighting tournament. This time, instead of presents, the winner would have their wishes for the new year granted by the gods. Or something. Claude was a little bit of a skeptic after all.

The most interesting part was how the whole event was, as Anna had told him, inspired by traditions from a completely different country from a completely different world, Hoshido. The activities, the clothes, the food and even the temple itself originated in that land, however, everyone was welcome to enjoy the festivities no matter where they came from. He hoped that Fódlan and Almyra would be able to cherish each other’s cultures and traditions like that one day. 

That was what Claude needed to work for, and part of it was learning through experience, which was another way of saying that he had managed to convince Dimitri to visit the temple with him even though they were both not interested in participating in the tournament this time.

It was supposed to be something casual, yet, as Claude arrived at the designated meeting point and saw the prince already waiting - by himself in the cold - it started to feel more and more like a date.

“Why are you early?” Claude asked as he did his best to ignore the feeling of butterflies making his stomach their new home.

“I would rather be early than late,” Dimitri replied simply.

“You can also be punctual so you don’t have to stand in the freezing cold for who knows how long.”

Dimitri gave him a bland look that meant he really didn’t think it was that cold. It, however, turned into something else as his blue eyes travelled down Claude’s body, something intense that made him feel strangely self-conscious.

“Green was truly the right choice,” Dimitri muttered quietly, then, in his usual tone, “Shall we go now?”

Claude thought there was probably a joke he could make about this. Or he could tease Dimitri saying that they were finally going on a ‘real date’. Instead he only nodded and nervously rearranged the green scarf around his neck.

-

They reached the New Year’s festival location in time to see a couple of the tornament’s fights. It was an interesting experience to Claude, seeing the kind of strategy each team would attempt, especially considering how the Order had some very unusual heroes with abilities he had never imagined could exist. And yet he probably looked very bored when compared to Dimitri whose restless energy was almost palpable.

“You look like you want to be there,” Claude pointed out, smiling a little.

Dimitri turned to him, looking sheepish. “Ah, well… You aren’t wrong, I suppose. Facing a challenging opponent… I can’t deny that it excites me a little,” he admitted a little shyly, “I’m not interested in the prize, however, so I should leave the opportunity to someone who is.”

“Oh? Don’t you want to have a wish granted by the gods?”

“If the gods were that interested in hearing our prayers and acting on them, we wouldn’t need soldiers to win a war. Instead, every man would be a priest.”

“Oh my! His Princeliness is secretly a heretic!” He replied pretending to be shocked. “I like this side of yours. Just saying.”

Claude bumped his shoulder against Dimitri’s, then used the opportunity to get even closer to him. It was cold after all.

After the fight for wishes was over, they wandered around a little aimlessly, observing the heroes mingle with the people of Askr. Although they were both people-watching, Claude was also Dimitri-watching. Every time they saw something different, the prince would make a face: of surprise, confusion, interest and so on. Dimitri was not exactly an expressive man, but he was very honest, so the secret was searching for the subtle changes.

Like how Dimitri furrowed his brow when he saw the _new_ Alfonse and Sharena. The royal siblings had been recently summoned by Kiran wearing the typical Hoshidan clothes (that was another odd quirk of the summoner’s powers. When they were in a festival mood, they summoned heroes dressed in theme outfits. It was so absurd, Claude was forced to just accept it).

“Would you want to try them out? Those clothes?” Claude asked.

“Ah, no… No, it would look very strange on me,” Dimitri denied and shook his head for emphasis.

Claude disagreed. The prince had such a (objectively) pretty face and a well-proportioned, perfectly fit body, he would look good even if he was dressed in dirty rags.

“Actually, if I may speak my mind… It looks… a bit like a dress to me,” Dimitri continued, appearing appropriately self-conscious of his ignorance.

“But it’s not. I mean, you _could_ call what Sharena is wearing a robe-like dress, but Alfonse is wearing several pieces of clothing and the bottom part can be either pants-like or skirt-like.”

“How can you know all that just by looking at them?” Dimitri asked, sounding impressed.

Claude grinned, “I obviously can’t. After some insistence, Oboro let me wear one of the kimonos she was adjusting for the hoshidan royals. One of the perks of being a member of the party planning committee, I guess. Now… do you know what looks like a dress?” He gripped the hem of Dimitri’s uniform tunic and flipped it upwards. “This. Just forgo the pants and it will be the sassiest little black dress. A bit like those worn by the pegasus knights.”

It was supposed to be an intellectual provocation, a way of pointing out how everything was mostly a matter of perspective. It came however with an unintended consequence. More precisely, Claude was suddenly thinking about the prince’s long pale legs (which he had only ever caught glimpses of, so they were mostly a product of his imagination). Dimitri, on the other hand, just glared at him, looking almost offended and completely clueless of what was going through the other house leader’s mind.

“...anyway, we should get our fortunes told by little pieces of paper before we leave,” Claude suggested in an attempt to banish those thoughts from his mind at least for a while. He could daydream about Dimitri’s legs later in the privacy of his own room.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t really believe in fortune telling,” Dimitri replied, frowning a little.

“Me neither, which means we can enjoy the experience without having to worry about the results.”

Dimitri still didn’t seem very interested, but followed Claude into the temple all the same.

The process of getting their fortunes seemed unnecessarily convoluted for something so small. First they needed to draw a numbered stick, then find a little drawer with the same number on them, then take a piece of paper from there. Claude immediately read his:

_Ordinary Luck  
Possessing more of something good does not necessarily make it better._

“How boring,” Claude remarked. Out of all possibilities, ordinary luck seemed the dullest and the ‘advice’ could be roughly translated to _‘you ate too much at the winter festival so maybe you should go on a diet’_. “What says yours, Your Princeliness?”

When he turned to Dimitri, he found him glaring at his piece of paper almost as if it had offended his dead parents.

“Hm? Oh, here,” he said in an strangely indifferent tone as he handed Claude his fortune, which said:

_Terrible Luck  
You are your own worst enemy_

“Terrible luck? Huh, I think that’s really rare…” Claude commented, but when he looked at Dimitri, he had a sullen expression that made him smirk and add, “You must know your enemy pretty well, at least. So defeating him might not be that hard.”

“I don’t see how that would help,” Dimitri replied flatly, “It doesn’t matter, I don’t believe in these things.”

“Hmm, it wouldn’t hurt to get you a good luck charm to offset that, I guess.”

“There’s really no need-”

“Of course there is no _need_ , but it’s _also_ part of the experience, so let’s go!” Claude told Dimitri, then grabbed his hand so he could pull him towards the store that sold the little trinkets.

Besides, it was also an opportunity to give something to Dimitri in return for the scarf he was presently wearing. And it would be something silly and unimportant which was exactly how he wanted.

The Hoshidan typical amulets were these small pouches that, in theory, contained sacred inscriptions inside (though one was not supposed to open them). They came in several different designs, some very pretty, but none _really spoke_ to Claude. Then he saw it: a lucky charm that had the picture of a cute yellow kitten in a blue background. It was way too appropriate even if Dimitri didn’t really understand it at first.

“Is there any particular reason for the cat?”

“Well, they didn’t have lions and, look, this one is blond like you,” Claude explained with a grin.

Dimitri gave it another slightly critical look before finally accepting Claude’s reasoning and pocketing the little pouch.

-

Claude was starting to measure the passage of time using Askr’s seasonal celebrations, and there were many (not that he was complaining). The next one on the list was something called the day of devotion. It was supposed to be a celebration of love and it was as tacky as expected: many donned pastel colored outfits and decorated their hair and weapons with flowers (because, yes, there was another fighting tournament on that day). Claude was not interested in taking part in any of it as sentimentality in general made him a little uncomfortable. 

“Aah~ I wish a nice guy would ask me out on the day of devotion’s festival…” Hilda complained as they marched back to the Order’s castle after a mission.

“Didn’t Laslow ask you a few days ago?” Claude reminded her.

“I said a ‘nice guy’, Claude,” she replied flatly, “I mean… he’s not bad, just… he’s an embarrassing version of Sylvain.”

“An embarrassing version of Sylvain that’s not Lorenz… This world is full of surprises,” Claude remarked humorously. “Seriously though… If you’re that desperate, I can take you.”

Hilda eyed him for a moment, an eyebrow arched.

“No, thank you. I’d rather go out with a guy who is at least the tiniest bit interested in me.”

“We can go together if you want, Hilda,” Mercedes, who was a few steps behind them, said.

“Really? That would be great!” Hilda replied excitedly, her eyes glittering with excitement.

“Why is Mercedes ‘great’ while I am not?” Claude asked, pretending to be offended.

“Because, if I am with a girl friend, it doesn’t look like I’m trying too hard. Besides, aren’t you going with Dimitri, Claude?”

“Nope,” he answered right away which made the two women look at him skeptically.

“You really _are_ stringing him along, then,” she declared in a disapproving tone, furrowing her brow. “...for how many months now?”

Claude thought he was pretty good at keeping his temper no matter the situation, but this incessant meddling was starting to get really annoying.

“All right, if you want to play this game, then let’s play it,” he started with a mocking grin he knew was very obnoxious. “What about… you asking Laslow to take your place in that mission in a swamp, all with the promise of having tea with him afterwards? How did that work out for you?”

“That’s completely different. Laslow is a wannabe womanizer, Dimitri is a really nice guy-”

“Oh? I have a list of ‘nice guys’ for you then: Ignatz, Ferdinand, Caspar-”

“Please, Claude. None of those guys has a crush on me the size of Fódlan.”

That shut him up quickly. It was not like that hadn’t been his first hypothesis and what had actually started this whole thing, but still, he had never really confirmed it. For all he knew, Dimitri could want the same things as him (whatever that meant).

“Let’s all get along, ok?” Mercedes intervened in her usual sweet voice. “Hilda, Dimitri and Claude’s relationship is something they have to figure out for themselves. And Claude, it’s not nice to make assumptions about Hilda either.”

Claude didn’t say anything. It was not like he wanted to fight with Hilda in the first place. She was the closest he had to a friend not counting Dimitri. She, on the other hand, sighed loudly, as if this whole conversation was more exhausting than the mission they had just completed.

“You’re right, I know… It’s just… it’s so obvious that they-” Hilda groaned in frustration, “No, forget it! It’s really… none of my business. I’ll trust your judgment on this, Claude.”

“Thank you,” Claude said with the tiniest bit of irony.

-

A new batch of Officer’s Academy students was summoned just in time for the Spring Festival. From the Black Eagle house, came Ferdinand and Bernadetta, both Claude barely knew besides the fact the former was as obsessed with his nobility as Lorenz and the latter was so socially awkward she only left her room when she had no other alternative. The Blue Lions were represented by the adorable and way too fun to resist Annette. Finally, a Golden Deer student was summoned as well and it was Lysithea.

Claude only noticed how much he had missed the youngest of his House when he saw her overly serious albeit cute face again. Actually, he had missed teasing her. It had been one of his favorite pastimes in the Officer’s Academy after all.

“Askr is really not above recruiting people from all ages, huh?” he remarked, his grin almost threatening to split his face in two.

“Are you going to pester me here as well, Claude?” she questioned impatiently, “I’ve heard that the summoned heroes are unable to die. Is that something you would like to test?”

Claude really didn’t, so he quickly excused himself. Sometimes retreating was the best strategy. Nevertheless, while he helped with the preparations for the Spring Festival (which seemed to be mostly about bunny costumes, eggs and fighting with strange weapons), he had an idea, one that involved Lysithea. To be honest, it couldn’t even be called an idea, it was more of a whim. A very silly one too: basically, he wanted to see the girl with white bunny ears.

So, after managing to obtain a headband with a pair of fluffy fake ears attached to it, he set about finding Lysithea so he could convince her to wear it. Luckily, he bumped into her as she was leaving the mess hall after dinner.

“Let me accompany you to your room, my young lady. It’s late and I don’t want you to be spirited away by any of the castle’s ghosts,” he improvised as he easily caught up with the girl’s little steps.

“Leave me alone, Claude.”

“Sure, but… you will have to deal with the haunted corridor ahead of us by yourself,” he replied and immediately turned on his heel, already grinning.

“Wait!” She demanded in an almost shrill voice, but quickly regained her composure. “I will allow you to accompany me. But it doesn’t mean I am afraid, I will have you know!”

“Of course, of course!” He reassured her with the same pleased expression, “I can always hold your hand though.”

“Don’t even think about it, Claude!” Lysithea snapped angrily, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Before they both fell into uncomfortable silence, Claude decided to kick his plan into action. “So… Have you heard about the Spring Festival?”

“I have. It seems pointless and a complete waste of time.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

“Why would I? And it’s not like we haven’t met in a very long time…”

“Maybe that’s true for you… I’ve been here for gods know how long now,” Claude confessed with a bit of frustration. His old life, his goals, they were all starting to feel so distant.

Lysithea stared at him, frowning.

“Not for so long as to lose track of time,” she remarked a little nervously, and, when Claude didn’t say anything, she pressed him, “For how long exactly, Claude?”

“Seven years,” Claude answered seriously.

“Seven years?” Lysithea repeated in shock.

Claude nodded, his expression very solemn, before he couldn’t resist and laughed. Loudly.

“Kidding, kidding! It’s been… uh… months. Less than a year. I was summoned during summer, I think.”

Lysithea flushed so quickly and utterly, from her neck to the tips of her ears, Claude thought that smoke might start coming out of her nostrils.

“Almost a year has passed and you still behave like the same immature boy!”

“Well, I haven’t really aged so…” Claude shrugged and that made Lysithea frown again. Before their conversation got too gloomy _and_ was completely derailed, he returned to the matter at hand, “Back to the Spring Festival… I wonder if you have heard that they offer the most delectable food there. All kinds of sweets-”

“You are lying,” she interrupted him, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

“I’m not. Why would I?”Claude replied calmly and he really wasn’t. What he said next, however, was a complete fabrication. “Anyway… everyone attending has to wear some kind of bunny-inspired accessory. I’m sure you have already seen them, right? Heroes wearing the spring festival’s costumes? So that’s why I fetched you this--”

He took the headband out of its hiding place in his coat and presented it to Lysithea, who eyed it suspiciously, looking horrified by the mere idea.

“Never.”

“You’ll miss out on all the delicious sweets.”

She hesitated, furrowed her brow, pursed her lips. Claude was almost there, he knew it.

“Will you also wear… bunny ears?” Lysithea asked, sounding unsure.

“Of course. Everyone will,” he lied with absolute perfection. The girl just stared at the offending item Claude was still offering her. “Just take it and think about it. You still have a few days to decide.”

The young student finally accepted it with a barely contained sigh of frustration. By then, they had reached the girl’s dormitory, so Claude bid her good night and left in the direction of his own room. Although everything was going according to plan, he doubted it would indeed proceed that smoothly. It didn’t matter though.

He had really missed Lysithea. 

-

The next day, Claude encountered the first (and already expected) obstacle to his plans. He was in the middle of stealing all the good parts of Dimitri’s lunch (while he stoically tolerated it) when a furious Lysithea stomped into the mess hall, then towards them, holding the bunny headband he had given her.

“You are an irredeemable liar,” she accused and threw the accessory at him. Claude managed to catch it before it hit him right on the forehead. “I don’t need to wear this… thing to attend the Spring Festival. Or any other ridiculous ornament!”

“No way! Who told you that?” Claude asked, feigning confusion.

“Edelgard.”

_Damn._

Out of all the summoned students, the imperial princess was the one most unlikely to maintain Claude’s charade, followed by Petra then Dimitri.

“Listen, Edelgard is not the best to ask about these things. She’s an introvert who never participates in any social event ever,” Claude reasoned.

“Claude-” Dimitri started, but before he could say anything too damaging, Claude pinched him on the side just below the ribs. That made the prince recoil like a snake and produce the most strange sound that was part a whimper, part a laugh.

Suddenly, both Claude and Lysithea were staring at him in surprise. Dimitri flushed and looked down at his half-eaten meal (mostly the plain parts that Claude hadn’t eaten).

“Anyway!” Lysithea continued, regaining her earlier ire, “I’m going to the library now and I don’t want to be bothered! This is my last warning, Claude!”

She gave the Golden Deer house leader one last glare before turning on her heel and stomping out of the mess hall so furiously, everyone on her way naturally gave her a wide berth.

“Well! At least I know where she will be next so I can proceed with phase three of the plan,” Claude stated calmly as he stole Dimitri’s last bit of meat;

“What are you doing, Claude?” Dimitri asked, looking suspicious.

“Me? Just having a bit of fun, I guess,” Claude replied nonchalantly as another silly idea popped into his mind. “Don’t move, Dimitri.” The first name was said on purpose as he had already noticed its use made the prince more accomodating. When Dimitri remained obediently still, he plopped the headband onto his head unceremoniously. “Cute, but I still think cat ears would look even better.”

Dimitri sighed impatiently, took the headband off carelessly and handed it back to him. The forceful movement messed his hair in a way that made him look more like a rebel and less like a prince. He looked… very handsome, even more when he was angry and so close. Claude was suddenly a little breathless.

“Are you well?” Dimitri asked as his annoyance turned into worry. “You are looking a little dazed.”

“Uh… yeah! I… am- well, not- not dazed...” he stammered, way too flustered for something so ridiculously mundane. He frantically searched for a conversation topic that brought them back to his comfort zone, and when he found it, his usual smile easily fell back into place. “So, you are ticklish, huh?”

“I’m not,” he denied right away, though his red cheeks told a different story.

“You’re lying,” Claude said with an impish grin.

“Please, Claude…” Dimitri said in a very soft voice and turned his big blue eyes to him. They looked almost desperate. “Please don’t do this to me. I beg you.”

It was the first time Dimitri had actually asked him not to do something. And the way he had said it was enough to make him too hot, too aroused, considering they were both in the crowded mess hall. Also, Claude really wanted to do it, even more than before, but resisted the temptation. There would be other opportunities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claude doesn't know how to affection so he bothers people instead. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment to validate the author if you can~ (●'◡'●)


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